Solicitors Qualifying Exam verdict

Will you enjoy studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)?

SQE

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) is the reformed set of exams that were introduced at the beginning of September 2021. In order to become a qualified solicitor, one will need to pass these exams. As of the year 2021, the completion of a law degree, a law conversion, and the Legal Practise Course (LPC) will no longer be necessary. The SQE1 national average pass rate is 51%. The results of the SQE2 examination that was held in April 2023 have been announced, and 996 applicants have got their results. There were 923 applicants who were taking the SQE2 for the first time, and they had an overall pass percentage of 80%. 77% of people passed the exam the first time they took it, including those who were retaking it for the first or second time.

LPC

There is not a shred of doubt in anyone's mind that the SQE is the more difficult exam to pass than the Legal Practise Course (LPC). Exams for the SQE are of a completely different kind from those for the LPC. The standard expected of students taking the SQE is that of a day one qualified solicitor, in contrast to the LPC, which assesses students at the level of a day one trainee solicitor.

If you do not pass the SQE 1 test, you will just need to retake the section that you did not pass. FLK refers for "Functioning Legal Knowledge," and SQE 1 is broken up into two parts called FLK1 and FLK 2 respectively. Each section is comprised of 180 multiple-choice questions, although the only section of the SQE1 that has to be retaken is the one in which you were unsuccessful. In the event that you do not pass the SQE2 three times during this six-year term, you will be required to wait until the end of this six-year period before reapplying, and any prior passes will not be carried forward.

The SQE1 examinations are exhaustive and time-consuming since they cover a wide variety of legal topics. You have to do four different tests over the course of two days, and each day will be five hours long. It's possible that the format of the questions will also seem fresh and unusual to you. There are multiple choice questions for each answer, but not in the way you may expect.

Students who are eligible for the transitional arrangements may keep following the traditional path into the profession by enrolling in the LPC as long as providers are offering the necessary classes for them to take. Candidates who stand to gain from the transitional arrangements may, if they so choose, instead make the decision to voluntarily switch to the new SQE path.

In contrast to the LPC, the SQE ensures that all applicants are evaluated in the same manner by making them take the same examination. This is the fundamental advantage of the SQE. This will assure stability and provide an incentive for those who are not already employed in the legal industry to join the profession. Or disadvantage if your course provider teachings differ in what is expected in the SQE exam. This is a new exam with little experience which some course providers hate to admit.

Do I need a law conversion course for the SQE?

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has mandated that in order to take the SQE that are part of the new SQE pathway to qualification, candidates do not need a law degree or a conversion course. However, you will struggle if you do not adequately prepare for these challenging exams before you attempt them. The exams (both SQE1 and SQE2) demand a degree of legal knowledge that can only be held by individuals who have graduated from a law programme, a conversion course, or who are already working professionals who have a wide range of legal work experience.

Studying for the SQE

The SQE has a massive curriculum to study for. As they get ready to take their SQE1 exams, it is only normal for students to have trouble remembering the large amount of legal information required by the SRA. It is also possible that this is the reason why students are not performing as well on FLK 2 (Day 2) as they did on FLK1 (Day 1), since they focused all of their attention and effort on their studies for FLK1 (Day 1), leaving them worn out and unprepared for Day 2.

We frequently get requests from students that are significantly falling behind already on their course that ask how do we prepare students for the SQE? The guidance that we can provide is it is not about selling you a course or learning materials; the primary focus is on getting you through the SQE. It is not essential to engage in a preparation course for the SQE1. The SQE is intended to be a self-study guide for anyone who want to pass the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, seen by some as an upgrade on the old LPC type learning. Can you do the SQE easily with any prior study of law? If you have a law background the concepts that you will study on the SQE 1 should be seen as the next level. If you come from a non-law degree then what better to have a law lecturer as a study partner to guide you and breakdown the course. Students ask how to study and prepare? this depends on each individual. It is possible to pass stage 1 of the SQE if you do extensive reading that is accompanied by meaningful reflection and consistent practice answering multiple choice questions.

After teaching the SQE curriculum and the LPC for a number of years, we saw that many of our students made well-thought-out judgements on the areas of law in which they wanted to specialise their study. They are aware that certain subject areas were more likely to be tested than others. Extensively researching every topic, doing so was not possible and was leading them to experience stress and burnout.

Conclusion

There is little doubt that the SQE has caused a commotion in legal education. However, there are mixed feelings about whether or not it has been an evolution for the better. The SQE the examinations may be one that can be seen to be rather high, especially when combined with inevitable preparatory courses; however, there is already movement within several universities to cater to the SQE within the existing law degree framework. Although the overall costs for qualification may be lower, the experience and stress of the examinations may be one that can be seen to be rather intense.